Coloured Clays

[withnail]

I was watching an episode of the BBC program "Antiques Road Show" where folk take their treasured possessions to find out their history a and value. Someone brought in a collection for antique clay pipes, some dating back to the mid 1700s. One thing that stood out was how many of the older pipes were painted. The details of the scene on the bowl were highlighted with bright colours. I didn't have a clue that this was done and assumed that clays were always as we see them now.
Has anyone else come across a painted clay?

 

[pstlpkr]

I've never seen one.

I would think that the paint would either burn or peel when the pipe heats up.

When was the show on?

I'd like to see if I can catch a replay.

 

[withnail]

It was on during the last few days, but I forget the day I'm afraid. It may well be on BBC iPlayer. It isn't something I watch often, but the announcer mentioned it featured pipes so I stayed tuned.
All the pipes looked well smoked and the colours remained fairly bright. I'm not sure what kind of paint was used on them and although the expert gave a brief history of clay pipes, the colour wasn't commented on. Maybe it was done by the original owner or retailer and was never wide spread. But it did make the detail stand out much more than on a plain clay.